VERSI SERVICES LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N992CTFederal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office: Salt Lake City, Utah NTSB Identification: GAA17CA08814 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Friday, December 02, 2016 in Payson, UTProbable Cause Approval Date: 03/13/2017Aircraft: DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA-20, registration: N992CTInjuries: 1 Uninjured.NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.The solo student pilot reported that, while on a cross-country flight, the weather deteriorated at the destination airport. He decided to complete a touch-and-go landing at an airport along the route and then return to the departure airport. The student pilot further reported that, when he began the flight back to his original point of departure, the airplane had about 3/4 tank of fuel remaining, and a headwind was present. About 10 to 15 nautical miles from the original departure airport, the fuel supply was exhausted, and the student pilot made a forced landing in a field. During the forced landing, the right wing struck a tree and was substantially damaged.The student pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:The student pilot's improper in-flight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.The solo student pilot reported that while on a cross-country flight, the weather deteriorated at the destination airport. He decided to complete a touch-and-go landing at an airport along the route and then return to the departure airport. The student pilot further reported that when he began the flight back to his original point of departure, the airplane had about ¾ tank of fuel remaining and a headwind was present. About 10 to 15 nautical miles from the original departure airport, the fuel supply was exhausted and the student pilot made a forced landing in a field. During the forced landing, the right wing struck a tree and was substantially damaged.The student pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

PAYSON, Utah -- You know that nervous feeling you get when you're driving down the highway, the fuel light is on, and there isn't a gas station in sight? Well, imagine that same feeling, only in an airplane.A student pilot had to make an emergency landing in Payson Friday after running out of gas."Plane crossed over the power lines probably 100 feet up," said witness Mark Dehart.Dehart was riding his ATV behind the LDS Temple in Payson around 1 p.m. when he saw the single-engine airplane falling from the sky over his home."I noticed his prop wasn't spinning, knowing he was going to go down," Dehart said. "He was kind of heading straight for the house."Dehart held his breath, hoping the pilot could avoid the crash."Lifted up the right wing so it wouldn't clip the gazebo, and then he lifted the left wing, struck the tree," Dehart said. "He took off about half a dozen branches about three-feet long."The plane eventually came to a hard landing in the middle of a sod farm. The pilot walked away uninjured, while the plane hardly had a scratch on it."He was fairly calm but he just said, 'I did a stupid thing,'" Dehart said.The stupid thing was not checking the fuel gauge before taking off."From what my understanding is, he was out of fuel so he thought he had enough fuel to get back to Spanish Fork where he took off from, but I guess he didn't estimate that very well," said Officer Noemi Sandoval of the Payson Police Department.The pilot declined an interview. Dehart hopes he doesn't beat himself up too much. He said the pilot made the best of a bad situation and that this could have been deadly."He did an amazing job, he was in control of the aircraft, he did great," Dehart said. "I hope he continues flying."Story and video: http://fox13now.com